Maranello has just released more details on the new Ferrari Roma, which was unveiled back in mid-November, such as the car’s powertrain, aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics and design.
The Prancing Horse’s latest offering seeks to poach customers away from its rivals at Aston Martin, Bentley, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG and into its latest front-engined V8 grand tourer.
The Roma, like the convertible-only Portofino, uses a new powertrain setup where a 3.9-litre twin-turbocharged V8, the same F154 used in the 488 GTB and its successor, the F8 Tributo, outputs 449kW and 760Nm - a slight increase over the Portofino.
Power reaches the rear wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission lifted from the new SF90 Stradale albeit with longer ratios and a reversing gear. Interestingly, this new eight-speed affair is 6kg lighter than the previous 7-speed box but is able to deliver 35 percent more torque. Thanks to a more powerful ECU, tweaked transmission software and better engine management software integration, the Roma can shifter quicker, smoother and more consistently, claims the brand.
Ferrari says that (by tradition) every engine they make has its own particular soundtrack which makes it unique, and the Roma is no different. Exhaust backpressure is reduced thanks to a redesigned geometry, the elimination of two silencers and reshaped by-pass valves.
In terms of driving dynamics, the Roma receives Ferrari’s Side Slip Control program, now in its sixth generation, which integrates an algorithm that gives the driver just the right amount of side slip thanks to race-bred tech. It also gets Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer which is a lateral control system that adjusts the brake pressure on one or more wheels to make the side slip smoother.
The Roma’s aerodynamics is capable of generating 95kg more downforce than the Portofino at 250km/h thanks to vortex generators on the front underbody and rear active aerodynamics. The latter deploys the rear spoiler into three different positions namely: Low Drag, Medium Downforce and High Downforce.
The design is certainly a departure from the usual Prancing Horse philosophy whereby the body is almost void of unnecessary ornamentation. Instead of a black mesh grille, it’s just squares of different sizes. The headlights are a deep set pair that can be optioned with a Matrix LED system.
Inside, the look and feel of the Roma’s cabin has been redesigned with what Ferrari calls the Human Machine Interface philosophy. Whatever. The digital instrument cluster comprises a single 16-inch curved screen which also displays satellite navigation and multimedia info. Infotainment is served up via an 8.4-inch portrait-oriented central display while an optional 8.8-inch horizontal touchscreen on the passengers-side dashboard displays the cars performance figures and statuses - making your passenger the co-driver.
The seats are upholstered in full-grain Frau leather while Alcantara, chromed aluminium and carbon fibre are employed elsewhere throughout the interior. The Roma’s cabin is also an evolution of the brand’s Dual Cockpit concept where the driver and passenger each have their own space or cell.
The Italian automaker is serving up the Roma with a seven-year maintenance program which covers all regular maintenance for the first seven years of the car’s life at intervals of 20,000km a year without mileage restrictions.
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